Double air fryer

ABSTRACT

An air frying appliance has a housing with an open interior and a plurality of air frying systems each including a heating element for heating air and a fan for circulating the heated air. One or more removable partitions are adapted to create open interior portions equal in plurality to the plurality of air frying systems, each open portion in communication with one of the air frying systems. One or more open-topped primary pots are adapted for insertion into the open interior and adapted to cooperate with one or all of the air frying systems to create one or more cooking chambers within which the heated air is circulated. Each air frying system is controllable to cause one or both of its fan and heating element to operate independently.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of pending application Ser. No.17/337,495, filed on 3 Jun. 2021, which is a Continuation-in-Part ofpending application Ser. No. 17/168,462, filed on 5 Feb. 2021, whichclaims priority to Chinese Application S/N 202011644520.8, filed on 31Dec. 2020. All of the teaching of both are incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to cooking appliances, and specifically toelectric countertop air fryers.

BACKGROUND

Air fryers use very hot turbulent air to “fry” food as an alternative todeep frying the food in hot oil or fat as in a deep fryer. Duringoperation, the hot turbulent air removes moisture on the outer surfacesof the food to make it as crispy as food cooked by deep frying offrying. A heating element heats the air within a food-containing fryingpot that is removably disposed within a cooking chamber. A motorized fanturbulizes the heated air within the chamber. The outer surface of foodis dried by the hot turbulent air so that its surface is dehydrated andbecomes golden and crispy. The food is fried using only the natural oilswithin the food itself. The appearance, taste, and texture of the airfried food mimics that of fattier and less heathy deep-fried food.

Existing air fryers have either single chamber arrangements or doublechamber arrangements. A double chamber air fryer can cook two differentfoods simultaneously. But such are incapable of cooking larger portionsbecause the cooking chambers are too small. And while a single chamberair fryer can cook larger foods or food portions, it does not enable thecooking of smaller portions of different foods independently. Forinstance, Publication 2017/0231430 teaches an air fryer having a singlepot with a removable partition to divide the pot into two cookingchambers, but only a single air frying system is provided, so bothchambers must be heated to the same temperature and cook for the sameamount of time, so such an arrangement is effectively only useful forcooking two identical portions of the same food to the same degree.

SUMMARY

The invention may be exemplified by or may use an air frying appliancethat allows selection of either two or more small side-by-side airfryers or one large air fryer. The appliance includes two or more airfrying systems to heat and circulate air, and those systems may beoperated independently when the two or more small air fryers areselected or may be synced to operate equally when the large air fryer isselected. One or more removable partitions may be included. Theremovable partition(s) may be shaped and arranged to enhance thecirculation of the heated air.

The air fryer may include a body having the air frying systems within,three or more open-topped pots which each together with its associatedair frying system creates one of the cooking chambers, and removablepartitions. The body may include a housing, having an open front portionand in open interior to receive the partition(s) and pots within. Andthe air frying systems may each include a heating element and a fan.

The partitions may be removably installable through the front openingand within the open interior, each between two adjacent cooking chambersto thereby define and separate the cooking chambers. The open interiormay include horizontal grooves for sliding the vertical partition(s) inand out and to ensure that the partition(s) are properly positioned. Thetop(s) and bottom(s) of the partition(s) may fit slidingly into upperand lower grooves, respectively, to engage the partition(s) into theinterior and between the adjacent cooking chambers

When multiple air fryers are desired, the partition(s) may be insertedand the small pots may be employed with/under each air frying system.The air frying systems may then be operated independently to each cook adifferent food most effectively, to cook at/for different times, or tocook at different temperatures.

When a single larger air fryer is desired, the partition(s) may beremoved and a single larger pot may be employed with under all airfrying systems. The air frying systems may then be synced to operatetogether to cook one food most effectively, for the same time, and atthe same temperature.

The air fryer may thereby be selectively used as a single large airfryer or a multiple smaller independent air fryers.

Each air frying system may include a thermal barrier disposed betweenthe heating element and the associated cooking compartment. This barrierprotects the food from being burned on its top surface by directexposure to the heating element and ensures that cooking is accomplishedonly via turbulized heated air, which flows around the barrier and intothe cooking chamber to cook the food evenly.

Each pot may have a handle to facilitate the holding of the pot withoutgetting burned.

Alternatively, the air frying appliance may be provided with only thetwo or more smaller pots and associated air frying systems, therebyallowing the user to operate each cooking chamber independently to eachcook a different food most effectively, to cook at/for different times,or to cook at different temperatures.

Still alternatively, the invention may be exemplified by or may use anotherwise similar air frying appliance except having a single largeopen-topped pot that allows selection of either two or more smallside-by-side air fryers or one large air fryer by having itspartition(s) slid vertically into vertical groves within the pot. Theappliance may similarly include two or more air frying systems to heatand circulate air, and those systems may similarly be operatedindependently when the two or more small air fryers are selected or maybe synced to operate equally when the large air fryer is selected. Oneor more removable partitions may be included.

The air fryer may include a body having the air frying systems within,and the two or more potential open-topped pot portions created byinsertion of the partition(s) which each together with its associatedair frying system creates one of the cooking chambers.

The partitions may be removably installable through the open top of thepot and within the open interior, each between two adjacent cookingchambers to thereby define and separate the cooking chambers.

When multiple air fryers are desired, the partition(s) may be insertedand the each small pot portion may be employed with/under each airfrying system. The air frying systems may then be operated independentlyto each cook a different food most effectively, to cook at/for differenttimes, or to cook at different temperatures.

When a single larger air fryer is desired, the partition(s) may beremoved and the single large pot may be employed with under all airfrying systems. The air frying systems may then be synced to operatetogether to cook one food most effectively, for the same time, and atthe same temperature.

The air fryer may thereby be selectively used as a single large airfryer or a multiple smaller independent air fryers.

Each air frying system may similarly include a thermal barrier disposedbetween the heating element and the associated cooking compartment toprotect the food from being burned on its top surface by direct exposureto the heating element and to ensure that cooking is accomplished onlyvia turbulized heated air, which flows around the barrier and into thecooking chamber to cook the food evenly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The included Drawings are meant only to demonstrate aspects of thedescribed embodiments and should not be used to limit the invention. Inthe Drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary first air fryer using twosmaller frying pots;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the air fryer of FIG. 1 using one largerfrying pot;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the air fryer of FIG. 1 with all fryingpots removed and the partition installed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the air fryer of FIG. 1 with all fryingpots and the partition removed;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the left smaller frying pot of the airfryer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the right smaller frying pot of the airfryer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the larger frying pot of the air fryerof FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the partition of the air fryer of FIG.1;

FIG. 9 is a perspective front sectional view through the air fryer ofFIG. 1 with all frying pots and the partition removed;

FIG. 10 is a perspective side sectional view through the air fryer ofFIG. 1 with all frying pots removed and the partition installed;

FIG. 11 is a top sectional view taken at line 11-11 of of FIG. 1 withthe smaller frying pots and the partition installed;

FIG. 12 is a top sectional view taken at line 12-12 of FIG. 2 with thepartition removed and the larger frying pot installed;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an exemplary second air fryer with itsfrying pot installed;

FIG. 14 is a perspective front sectional view through the air fryer ofFIG. 13 with the frying pot removed;

FIG. 15 is a front sectional view taken at line 15-15 of FIG. 13 withthe frying pot and the partition installed;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the frying pot of the air fryer of FIG.13 with the partition installed; and

FIG. 17 is a partial bottom perspective view of the heating assembly ofthe air fryer of FIG. 13.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-10 depict a first air frying appliance having housing 111. Theappliance includes two air frying systems, left system 132L+131L andright system 132R+131R to heat and circulate air, and those systems maybe operated independently. Removable partition 120 is insertable betweenopen interiors 123L and 123R by fitting slidingly between grooves, topgroove 141T and bottom groove 141B. Two removable small open-toppedpots, left pot 143L and right pot 143R, are positionable into the openinteriors, left open interior 123L and right open interiors 123R,respectively, and directly under the left and right air frying systems,respectively, forming together with the left and right pots,respectively, left and right cooking chambers, left cooking chamber132L+131L+143L and right cooking chamber 132R+131R+143R, respectively,and to thereby create a double side-by-side air fryer 100A.

The partition is shaped and arranged to enhance the circulation of theheated air by having radius rear edges, R1 and R2, which match toradiused rear corners, R3 and R4, respectively, of the left and rightpots when the pots are fully inserted into the open interiors, tothereby direct the circulating heated air smoothly and without sharpcorners that would otherwise create dead spots.

Additionally or alternatively, the air frying systems may be synced tooperate equally and a single large pot 133 may be employed with thepartition removed, and the appliance may then function as a singlelarger air fryer 100B.

The housing includes left open front 121L and right open front 121R, forreceiving the left and right pots into the left and right openinteriors, respectively.

The left and right air frying systems each include a heating element,135L and 135R, respectively, and a fan 136L and 136R, respectively.Insulating barriers 137L and 137R are disposed between the left andright air frying systems, respectively, and their associated cookingchambers. This prevents exposure of food within the pots to directradiant heat form the heating elements which would otherwise burn thetop of the food before the entirety of the food was fully cooked. Heatedair may flow around the insulating barriers to reach the food and ensurethat the food is only cooked thereby.

The air frying systems may then be operated independently to each cook adifferent food most effectively, to cook at/for different times, or tocook at different temperatures.

All pots include one or more perforated trays 147 spaced from the pot'sbottom surface to support food within the pot and maintain a gapthere-under for optimal circulation of the heated air all around thefood.

All pots have a handle 125 to facilitate the holding of the pot by auser without getting burned.

FIGS. 11 through 17 depict a second air fryer 200 having housing 211having left and right air frying systems within. as in the firstembodiment, to heat and circulate air, and those systems may be operatedindependently. Removable partition 220 is insertable down intoopen-topped pot 233 by fitting slidingly between ribs, left rib 241L andright rib 241R inside the rear of the pot and similar ribs inside thefront of the pot, to create left and right pot portions, 237L and 237R,which each together with their associated air frying systems create leftand right cooking chambers, respectively. The open-topped pot ispositionable into the housing similar to the first embodiment, directlyunder the left and right air frying systems, forming together with theleft and right pot portions, respectively, left and right cookingchambers, respectively, and to thereby create a double side-by-side airfryer.

Additionally or alternatively, the air frying systems may be synced tooperate equally and the partition may be removed, and the appliance maythen function as a single larger air fryer.

The left and right air frying systems each include a heating element,235L and 235R, respectively, and a fan 236L and 236R, respectively.While insulators similar to those of the first embodiment are employed,they are removed from the drawings for clarity.

The pot includes perforated trays 247 spaced from the pot's bottomsurface to support food within the pot and maintain a gap there-underfor optimal circulation of the heated air all around the food.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become obvious tothose skilled in the art by this description or by use of the describedembodiments. It should be understood that the drawings and descriptionare only intended to provide examples of the invention but that theinvention should only be limited by the following claims, including allequivalent interpretation to which they are entitled.

I claim:
 1. An air frying appliance comprising: a housing having an openinterior and a plurality of air frying systems each comprising a heatingelement for heating air and a fan for circulating the heated air; anopen-topped pot adapted for insertion into the open interior and adaptedto cooperate with the air frying systems; one or more removablepartitions insertable down into the open-topped pot to create cookingchambers within the open-topped pot in which the heated air iscirculated, the cooking chambers being one more in number than thenumber of partitions; wherein, each air frying system is controllable tocause one or both of its fan and heating element to operateindependently of the other air frying system or systems; and wherein theopen-topped pot is adapted for insertion into the open interior suchthat each cooking chamber is in communication with one or more of theair frying systems.
 2. The air frying appliance of claim 1 wherein theopen-topped pot is adapted for insertion into the open interior absentthe one or more removable partitions and adapted to cooperate with allof the air frying systems to create one cooking chamber within which theheated air is circulated.
 3. The air frying appliance of claim 2 whereinall of the air frying systems are adaptable to operate together as onewhen the open-topped is inserted absent the one or more removablepartitions.
 4. The air frying appliance of claim 3 further comprising aninsulating barrier disposed between each air frying system and theassociated cooking chamber or chambers and adapted to prevent directradiant heating of food within the cooking chamber or chambers by theheating element while allowing circulation of the heated air to thefood.
 5. The air frying appliance of claim 4 wherein the open-topped potcomprises one or more perforated trays spaced from a bottom surface ofthe pot and adapted to support the food within the associated cookingchamber while maintaining a gap there-under for optimal circulation ofthe heated air all around the food.
 6. The air frying appliance of claim1 further comprising an insulating barrier disposed between each airfrying system and the cooking chamber or chambers and adapted to preventdirect radiant heating of food within the cooking chamber or chambers bythe heating element while allowing circulation of the heated air to thefood.
 7. The air frying appliance of claim 6 wherein the open-topped potcomprises one or more perforated trays spaced from a bottom surface ofthe pot and adapted to support the food within the pot while maintaininga gap there-under for optimal circulation of the heated air all aroundthe food.